Chapter 11
The plot to kidnap Akiko had, for Toranaga, the useful side effect of shocking those who would waver over considering the foreign influence dangerous and who had petitioned to permit more ports to open to trade than Nagasaki where the wretched foreigners were presently confined.
It had been those who had ports themselves of course who wanted a piece of the foreign trade; and whilst Toranaga might understand their motives, could even sympathise, he knew that if these foreign priests could once get a toehold under the guise of trade they would spread their pernicious ideas inland.
The headstrong boy and his notion of manipulating the Anjin-san had almost done the Shogun a favour; Toranaga was tempted to let him commit seppuku instead of having him executed. But no; it was a way in which he might exert his strange beliefs that also preached that suicide was wrong and make a scene. He would have a relatively painless death though for his unwitting aid. Beheading instead of crucifixion.
He had promised to burn all the Christians out if the Anjin or his family were harmed; it was a nuisance since the trade was useful but a threat must always be carried out.
"Anjin" he said "I must burn out the foreign quarter of Nagasaki of course."
"My lord, please forgive me for impertinence but I sense you are reluctant; there is a way to avoid this" said Blackthorne.
"The trade is useful – but I have made the threat, Anjin-san. If there is a way to avoid it, speak."
"My Lord – you made threat to burn them out if I or my family were harmed. We are not harmed. My daughter sustained a slight wound but it is by no means likely to cause a problem" said Blackthorne and in England she would likely have died of such a cut, at best lost much of the use of the arm. All I can do for this wonderful land I will. "As there is no HARM caused you need only remind them of the threat and say perhaps that it will be carried out if any of his co-conspirators are not handed over. They may claim that there is nobody else; and then you may choose to pretend to believe them or not as you wish."
"Hmmm" said Toranaga "Sagacious council my friend. Do you think they will refuse to give anyone up?"
"They fear to die too much although by the Christian belief death takes the soul ultimately to Heaven" said Blackthorne "It may be that one might volunteer for what he sees as martyrdom. In my opinion the less made of the distinct nature of gaijin handwriting the better. That way we know to recognise it again and they do not know that we may readily see who has written. I suspect that few enough of the Portuguese actually realise that a man's handwriting may be seen even in the kana as well as in the way he writes kanji. I have written hiragana and katakana every day for the last fourteen years; and read documents relating to my fief. I still have a childish handwriting but I recognise that. It is at least legible. But to me it is not writing in a foreign language; it is just writing."
"You reason that well" said Toranaga. "The time has not come to wipe them out. We shall gain what wealth and knowledge as we may from them; and perhaps we shall be able to ally one day with those countries that oppose these Catholics."
"It would be good to subdue them" agreed Blackthorne.
Ah, Anjin, it is more likely that I or my sons will end up wiping these foreign barbarians off the face of Japan if they cannot let well alone and must continue to plot thought Toranaga.
It is never going to happen, Toranaga thought Blackthorne you are mighty but not mighty enough to take an army all around the horn of Africa to take on Spain and Portugal in their own back yard. And even putting over the idea of Queen Elizabeth – if she even lives still – in the same light as the Empress Jingo will not make the warriors of Japan want to fight for and alongside England's unwashed soldiery.
oOoOo
Time continued to turn.
Buntaro decreed that he would ride over to instruct Akiko in her father's house every few weeks as she was now too old to be under his roof with propriety, even though she was to marry him.
Her instruction was less intense too as she might be trusted to practise on her own; and Buntaro told her brusquely that it was better too for her to finish growing up for herself before she came to him as his bride.
Akiko knew better than to argue with certain tones of voice.
Moreover, she wanted to grow up and come to terms with who Akiko the young woman was; a different person to Akiko the little girl who was at least half little boy.
She gave herself to taking more instruction from Midori, who had been the only mother she had ever known; and found that she might enjoy dandling and playing with her baby sister as well as occupying Sametaro and letting him practice his swordplay against her with boken.
Children of her own might actually be quite nice.
Of course children were a terrible risk.
She knew the story of her own mother, widowed at nineteen when her husband and infant son were both executed for the husband's treason; root and branch must be excised. But still so hard to accept the death of a baby just in case he might want to avenge his father.
Buntaro would never commit treason though. He was utterly loyal to Toranaga; which was why the old badger permitted him to argue with him a little. And none of Toranaga's sons were idiots; rare, by all the accounts of history. It seemed that too often great men had sons with little initiative or vision, depressed in their abilities by the shadow of the great man. None of them were in his mould; but neither were any totally overshadowed. Toranaga expected his sons to be his most loyal hatamoto and to have their own thoughts and ideas ready to present to him.
Another visit to Edo came; and went. It was tedious. Now she was a young woman, Akiko must not climb trees and must be all proper and grown up; and should not stray from her honoured stepmother's side save with appropriate escort.
And with the various uncertainties over the plots of the Sato family and others her father and Buntaro were closeted for long hours with the Shogun; and often away from their beautiful home on the Izu peninsula between whiles too. The attempted kidnap of Akiko was one of the things that had enabled Toranaga to sign the Christian Expulsion Edict banning the religion and all but expelling all foreigners. Only the trading post in Nagasaki was to be permitted to foreigners; and this was to be enforced stringently.
There were plots too in the wind from Lady Ochiba and her son Yaemon, son of Nakamura the Taiko; and Osaka castle was again a potential threat.
Toranaga was too making sure that in the event of his demise – which he laughed and said might well not be for many years but an old campaigner was always prepared, neh? – all proceeded smoothly in the handover to his son. Sudara was already second Shogun – or as Toranaga had said jestingly he gave his son all the headaches while he, Toranaga, enjoyed the fruits of the victory with none of the hard work. All knew this was untrue as Lord Toranaga worked as tirelessly as his son to ensure peace, and to maintain too the sacred position of the emperor; Go-Mizuno had been crowned three years before with Toranaga as a witness, and the wily old badger had too overseen the remodelling of the Imperial Court, leaving the Court Daimyo as mere figureheads.
His position was unassailable.
Save by the Taiko's son.
oOoOo
Midori must see Blackthorne off hiding a heavy heart when Toranaga needed him for the winter siege of Osaka castle; only the Anjin-san truly understood the great cannons that were to be transported there by sea.
Akiko was supposed to stay behind too; but she knelt to her father and worked out how to word a defiance that was not a request and so did not contravene her agreement of lifetime wish that he had agreed to.
"Honoured father, you are of course wondering whether to take me to war; and I would remind you that I turned fifteen and so am of age as the leaves turned colour. And naturally I shall not shirk my duty; after all, when you are in charge of the cannon you will be a natural target for every sharp-shooter in the castle. And for having plunging fire they will have greater range. I however have superior range for having had a superior training; and that means that I may stand by the cannons and guard you and the trained cannon crews by keeping the heads of their sharp shooters down. Moreover if you ARE killed I am the only person beside perhaps Kasigi Omi who fully understands the workings of the cannons and what to do if there is any trouble. There is no need to feel a need to leave me behind, honoured father; my duty is quite clear and I shall not shirk it."
"Aki-chan do you actually WANT to come?" asked Blackthorne, mystified.
"Oh YES, honoured father" said Akiko "I shall have the opportunity to use my bow for real; and I doubt there will ever be another real battle in my lifetime, for in subduing Yaemon, Lord Toranaga subdues all viable opposition. This is my only chance to win honour and fame for our house and bring credit to you and to Buntaro-sensei both. I would not wish the chance to go by. Besides I have never seen a siege; it would be very educational."
Blackthorne laughed ruefully.
"It is also a chance to get yourself killed, little one" he said "And as your father I find that hard. If you were a son…." He paused and sighed. "If you were a son I should still worry" he said honestly. "As I have no doubt Sudara-sama is worrying about his son Iemitsu who goes into battle for the first time also. Very well; you have shown yourself hardy. Buntaro-san will be riding down to join us with some of his men; and we shall be taking ship round the coast to Osaka faster than Ochiba – it is I swear more Ochiba than Yaemon who is behind this, she has always hated Toranaga-sama – will anticipate,"
"It must be hard for the Lady Genjiko" sighed Akiko "Whichever way she looks at it she must lose at least one beloved family member. She will be most concerned for Lord Sudara and her son Iemitsu-san; but Ochiba-dono is her older sister, neh?"
Blackthorne sighed.
"Yes; and Genjiko initially a treaty bride brokered by the Taiko who has had the good fortune to love her husband" he said. "Karma, neh?"
"Karma" agreed Akiko.